Apparatus for continuously feeding a web of fabric in open state into a treating liquid



2,161,812 ABRIC O. GRETLER June 13, 1939.

APPARATUS FOR GONTINUOUSLY FEEDING A WEB OF F IN OPEN STATE INTO A TREATING LIQUID Original Filed June 21, 1935 lNgENTOR ATTORNEY Fl llllllll/I:

Patented June 13, 1939 PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING A WEB F FABRIC IN OPEN STATE INTO A TREATING LIQUID Otto Gretler, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Reconstruction Finance Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation Application June 21, 1935, Serial No. 27,662. Re-

newed June 15, 1937.

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in a method and apparatus of continuously feeding a web of fabric in open state into a treating liquid.

Devices for continuously feeding a web of fabric in open state into a treating liquid by means of a stream of liquid have in general a slantingly arranged slide surface on which the fabric is led by means of a shallow stream of liquid. These devices are sufiicient for use where a low feed velocity of the fabric web and a small depth of immersion are required. They fail however where greater velocities and depths of immersion are required as is the case when the fabric web is to be continuously draped over conveyers trav- .elling in the treating bath and is to be led along in pendent loops. The stronger stream of liquid required in the said case draws into the bath air which in part attaches itself to the fabric and causes the same to float. This conveyed air also has a disturbing action in the hitherto employed apparatuses and devices with spray pipes at both sides of the fabric web for feeding the web in open state.

The invention comprises inter alia a method and apparatus of continuously feeding the web of fabric in which the stream of liquid is formed beneath the surface of the bath. In this case the fabric before it is gripped by the downwardly 30 pulling stream of liquid, is run through a layer of liquid which is as still as possible and does not pull downwards, A substantially complete removal of air is achieved thereby in spite of the strong downward stream serving to form the 35 pendent loops.

The invention also embraces an enhancement of this effect by employing a partial stream directed towards the surface of the bath in addition to the stream of liquid which pulls the fab- 40 ric into the bath, so that the fabric first travels through a rising layer of liquid. This produces a better removal of air from the fabric.

It is furthermore within the purview of thisinvention to obtain by a simple adjustment both 45 an upward and a downward stream or to eliminate the upward stream leaving the downward stream intact.

The apparatus for carrying out the method has a box provided with liquid feeds and lying be- 50 ineath the surface at the entrance of the fabric thereto and provided with discharge outlets for the liquid and slots for the entering fabric web which runs therethrough.

Other aims and advantages of the invention 55 will appear as the following description is read In Germany June 27,

in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 show a longitudinal section and a cross section respectively of the apparatus, and

Figs. 3 to 5 show details.

In the drawing, l indicates the tank containing the treating bath or dye liquor. Tank l is provided with endless chains 3, 3' which slide on supports 2, 2 and which are movably connected to carriers 4 which are in the form of conveyor rods and serve to convey the fabric web M in pendent loops through the treating bath. A box 5 is inserted in the tank I and secured to the same by angle brackets '6, 6. Liquid feeds in the form of pipes l, I extend along the box 5 and are mounted on a carrying wall. The liquid feed can obviously also take place from both sides. The slot for the stream of liquid is formed by the separating vanes between which the fabric web enters the liquid of the bath, at least-suflicient liquid being fed to the box to create the downwardly directed current necessary to sink the fabric.

In order to also produce an upwardly directed stream, partition walls l0, l0 forming a slot for the entering fabric web, Fig. 3, are provided between the lips 8, 9 of the discharge outlets, the distance of these walls from the upper lip 8 being less than from the lower lip 9 and the slot formed for the entering fabric web by the partition walls [0, l0 being narrower than the slot formed by lips 8 and narrower than that formed by lips 9. The effect thereof is that, the bath liquid flowing from the pipes l, l, for the greater part forms a liquid stream which flows through below the partition walls Ill, Ill and is directed downwardly, and for the lesser part forms a liquid stream which flows away above the partition walls l0, l0 and is directed upwardly which as hereinbefore mentioned effects a better removal of air from the fabric.

Fig. 4 shows a box the outlet of which lies slightly higher than the level in tank I. The upwardly directed stream is formed by the overflow and the partition walls l0, ID are unnecessary.

In Fig. 5 a box is shown in which the front walls are formed as overflows. The level of the liquid in the box can thereby be adjusted by means of plates i I which are vertically adjustable. This arrangement serves to extend the fabric web towards both sides. Above the box 5 there is provided a roller [2, Figs. 1 and 2, from which the fabric is fed through the slot into the bath liquid present in tank I by the stream of liquid formed in the box 5 by the liquid supplied by the pipes l, I, in order to arrive on the conveyer rods 4.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for the continuous wet treatment of textile material comprising a treating tank, means for continuously feeding textile material into said' treating tank comprising at least two opposing compartments facing one another, means for introducing liquid into said compartments, the lower surfaces of said compartments defining a slot extending at least with its lower end below the liquid level in said tank and an outlet from said compartments directing a stream of treating liquid downwardly into said slot to thereby pass a web of textile material in substantially air-free condition through said slot and into said tank at a point below the liquid level in said tank.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the upper surfaces of'said compartments define a slot adapted to receive a web of textile material, said slot being substantially parallel to the slot defined by the lower surfaces of said compartments.

3. Apparatus for the continuous wet treatment of textile material comprising a treating tank, means for continuously feeding textile material into said. treating tank, comprising two opposing compartments facing one another, the upper surfaces of said compartments being spaced apart and defining a first slot below the liquid level in said tank and positioned to receive a web of textile material, the lower surfaces of said compartments defining a second slot extending at least with its lower end below the liquid level in said tank and positioned below said first slot and an outlet from said compartments directing a stream of treating liquid downwardly into said second slot to thereby pass a web of textile material through said second slot. 1%

4. Apparatus for the continuous wet treatment of textile material comprising a treating'tank, means for continuously feedingtextile material into said tank comprising at least two opposing compartments, each of said compartments being provided with means to'feed liquid to said compartment and with at least one outlet comprising an upper duct positioned to discharge an upward stream of liquid and a lower duct positioned to discharge simultaneously a downward stream of liquid below the liquid level in said tank, the outlets of opposing compartments facing one another and being spaced apart to form a slot adapted to receive a web of textile material, whereby in operation the said web of textile material in substantially air-free condition may be discharged from said slot into said tank at a point below the level of the liquid therein.

5. Apparatus for the continuous wet treatment of textile material comprising a treating tank, means for continuously feeding textile material into said tank comprising at least two opposing compartments and an overflow compartment, each of said opposing compartments being provided with means for feeding liquid to said com partment and with at least one outlet, the outlets of opposing compartments facing one another and being spaced apart to form a slot I adapted to receive a material in web form, said overflow compartment being situated above and in direct treating liquid communication with the opposing outlets "and positioned to discharge liquid at a point higher than the liquid level in said tank, each of said outlets being positioned to discharge a downward stream of liquid at a point below the liquid level in said tank and in conjunction with said overflow compartment simultaneously an upward stream of liquid below the treating liquid surface of said overflow compartment, whereby in operation said webof textile material in substantially air-free condition may be discharged from said slot into said tank at a point below the level of the liquid therein.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5, in which said overflow compartment is provided with means adapted to vary the liquid overflow level.

7. Apparatus forcontinuously feeding a material in web form into a treating liquid com to receive a material in web form, said overflow compartment being situated above and in direct communication with the opposing outlets and positioned to discharge liquid at a point higher than a treating-liquid level, each of said outlets being positioned to discharge a downward stream of [liquid and in conjunction with said overflow compartment simultaneously an upward stream of liquid below a treating liquid surface.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 in which said overflow compartment is provided with means adapted to vary the liquid discharge level.

OTTO GRETLER. 

